Curt Simmons, Last of the Phillies’ Whiz Kids, Dies at 93

After leaving baseball, Simmons was a partner with Roberts and others in a golf course in Ambler, Pa. He became the last living Whiz Kid when Miller, his pitching corps teammate, died in November 2020 at 94. During their last years, Simmons and Miller, who was living in Michigan, kept in touch by phone, reliving their glorious summer of 1950.

In addition to his daughter, Simmons is survived by his sons, Timothy and Thomas, and seven grandchildren. His wife, Dorothy (Ludwig) Simmons, died in 2012.

Simmons long remembered his disappointment over missing the 1950 World Series.

“Two days before the Series began, they called me into the Army office and said they’d give me a 10-day leave without pay,” he told The Allentown Morning Call in 2014. “I wasn’t eligible to pitch because the rosters had to be set up three days before the Series, so I pitched batting practice.

“I think I put the guys in a slump because I was pitching pretty good.”

Alex Traub contributed reporting.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/13/sports/baseball/curt-simmons-dead.html